spencer



No. 6l2,596. Patented Oct. I8, 1898.

l. H. SPENCER.

WATER MOTOR.

(Application filed. Feb. 16, 1898.)

(No Model.)

Inventor: frafi Spencer:

R @UEUE E By his flttorzaey.

thereof and in other places where a noiseless NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

IRA I-I. SPENCER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE L. E. RHODESCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WATER-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,596, dated October18, 1898.

Application filed February 16, 1898. Serial No. 670,482. (No model.)

"To all whom itmay concern;-

Be it known that I, IRA II. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States,residingin Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tater-Motors, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fluid engines or motors, and more particularlyto water-motors, one object of my present invention being to provide animproved fluid-motor comprehending means whereby during operation themovements of the working parts will be practically noiseless, obviatingthe disagreeable whistling or groaning noises incidental to motors ofordinary construction during exhaust, and to so construct and organizethe constituent elements that the motor will be compact and easy ofregulation, and thereby to especially adapt the same for use in con:

nection with organs for operating the bellows and eiiicient motor isrequired.

A further object of the invention is to furnish an improved fluidqnotorembodying, in connection with the main valve and piston, anauxiliary-valve chamber having a substantially tubular valve-seat andalso having a waterway surrounding two sides of said seat andcommunicating with opposite ends of the main valve chamber, an auxiliaryvalve seated in the auxiliary-valve seat and so constructed andsupported as to be accurately balanced circumferentially, and anactuatin gconnector between said valve and piston.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in connectionwith themain-valve chamher and main valve of a fluid-motor, an improvedauxiliary valve embodying means, in connection with the ports thereof,for disseminating or spreading the fluid as it enters said ports,whereby to prevent noises incidental to valves of ordinary constructionin fluidmotors.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a water-motorembodying my invention in one form thereof, the actuating-connectorbetween the piston and auxiliary valve being shown in this figure asembodying a cam for securing variable movements of said valve during theoperation of the piston and the piston being shown in operativeconnection with a bellows. Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation, partiallyin section and on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the water-motor,showing the main and auxiliary-valve chambers, the main valve andauxiliary valve, and the ports leading from the main-valve chamberto themain cylinder and from said valve-chamber to the auxiliary-valvechamber, the main valve being in this figure shown as a spool-valve andin position to admit fluid to the upper end of the main .cylinder andthe auxiliary valve being shown in the position it occupies when thepiston has passed the center of its stroke. Fig. 3 is an enlargedsectional view, similar to Fig. 2, of a portion of the exhaust-chamber,showing the auxiliary valve thereof in its wide-open position. Fig. 4cis a longitudinal section of the auxiliaryvalve and seat, taken on aline corresponding with the dotted line a a, Fig. 3, looking toward theright in said figure. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of theauxiliary valve detached. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of aslightly-modified form of tubular auxiliary valve and the casingtherefor; and Fig. 7 is a side view, simi lar to Fig. 1, of a portion ofthe wateranotor, showing a slightly-modified form of actuator for theauxiliary valve.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures ofthedrawings.

In the drawings I have shown only so much of one type of water-motor asis deemed necessary to fullyillustrate the application and mode ofoperation of my present improvements, and it is desired to state thatwith the exception of the auxiliary-valve easing, auxiliary valve,auxiliary-valve actuator, and closely-allied elements constituting thesubj eat-matter of the claims herein I do not wish to limit myself toany particular form, contruction, or organization of fluid-motor, as myimprovements are applicable to meters of various kinds. I

Briefly stated, the motor illustrated in the accompanying drawingscomprises in a general way the main cylinder C; a main-valve chamber C,communicating with opposite ends of the main cylinder, as hereinbeforedescribed; a piston P, working in the main cylinder and having apiston-rod 2 extending through a suitable stuffing-box 3 in onecylinder-head 4 5 a main valve V, havingavalvestem extending through astuffing-box 5, se cured in one end of the head of the valve chamber; across-head or valve actuating arm 6, fixed to the piston-rod andcooperating with stops 7 and 7 on the valve-stem to actuate said valve;an auxiliary-valve chamber or casing 0 having two ports communicatingwith the valve-chamber C; an auxiliary valve V, supported in theauxiliaryvalve chamber in such a manner and of such construction as tobe longitudinally and circumferentially balanced by the fluid containedin said chamber, and an actuatingconnector (designated by G) between theauxiliary valve and piston.

The main cylinder 0 is shown as a tube seated at opposite ends inannular grooves in the castings or heads 4 and 4, and the valvechamber 0is shown as a cylinder parallel to the main cylinder and having at oneside thereof two ports 10 and 10, which commu- 7 nicate with portpassages or conduits 12 and 12, respectively leading to opposite ends ofthe piston-cylinder, the passage-ways 12 and 12 being formed by tubesdisposed in parallelism with the cylinder 0 between the valvechamber andcylinder and seated the one 12 at its upper end in an annular grooveformed in an extension of the cylinder-head or casting 4 and the one 12'at its lower end in an annular groove formed in the cylinder-head orbase-casting 4E, passage-ways being formed in the heads 4 and l,respectively, for establishing communication between the passageways 12and 12 at opposite ends of the main cylinder. The inner ends of theconduits 12 and 12 are seated in a casing or bracket 14, formed,preferably, integral with the central portion of the valve chamber orcasing 0, this casing being divided horizontally at the central portionthereof by a partition 15, having an inlet-passage 16 communicating withthe valve-chamber C and which is located between and separates the twoports 10 and 10 of the valve-chamber, said inlet-passage 16 in practicecommunicating with any suitable supply-pipe (not shown) through themedium of a supply-valve (not shown) or in any suitable manner.

In the form thereof illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings theauxiliary-valve chamber 0 is formed integral with the mainvalve chamberC and comprises an outer wall 18 (shown parti-cylindrical) and asubstantially tubular valve-seat 10 of less radius than and inconcentric relation with the wall 18 and which seat 19 hasdiametricallyopposite passageways or ports 20 and 21 communicating withthe space or waterway 22, formed be tween the valve-seat and outer wall18, which waterway communicates at opposite sides of the valve-seat withopposite ends of the mainvalve chamber C through ports 23 and 23,

respectively, these ports. 23 and 20 constitutin g, in the organizationillustrated in said figures, exhaust-ports for the valve-chamber C, andthe chamber C constituting an exhaustchamber. The auxiliary valve V ismounted in the valve-seat 19 for oscillatory movement, with its axispreferably at right angles to the axis of the valve V, and is shown (seeFigs. and 5) as a tube of uniform diameter its entire length, it beingopen at one end and having its opposite end closed and provided with avalve-stem 2i,which extends through a stuffing-box 25 in the end wall ofthe valve-chamber 0 the open end of said valve communieating with anoutlet-passage 26 in the opposite end wall of said chamber 0 as will bereadily understood by reference to Fig. 4- of the drawings.

The main valve V is shown as a spool-valve having two circumferentialflanges or heads 27 and 27 at opposite ends, respectively,thereof andhaving two intermediate circumferential flanges 28 and 28',respectively, which control the supply and exhaust, through the ports 10and 10', to and from the main cylinder in the usual manner.

The auxiliary valve V in the organization thereof shown in Figs. 1 to 5,inclusive, of the drawings has its outlet at one end thereof and has twoseries of inlet-ports 30 and 31 formed through diametrically oppositeportions thereof, there preferably being three inlet-ports in eachseries, and said ports being in position for registering with theexhaustports 20 and 21 of the valve-seat 19.

As a means for changing the natural course of the fluid in its passagefrom the waterway 2 of the auxiliary-valvechamber 0 into the auxiliaryvalve V, whereby to disseminate or spread the fluid and prevent theobnoxious whistling or groaning noises incidental to motors havingunbalanced auxiliary valves of ordinary construction, said valve V hasformed in the periphery thereof, contiguous to each inlet-port, one ormore depressions, indentations, or grooves 32, each of which merges atone end into each port and terminates at its opposite end intermediatethis port and the diametrically opposite port, or, in other words, oneor more portions of the side walls or edges of the ports are inclined ortapered inwardly for a short distance, so that the one or more portionsof the extreme inner edges of the port will be of considerably lessthickness than the adjacent main body portion of the valve. Thesegrooves or indentations may be formed in thevalve by milling or in anyother suitable manner, and preferably extending from a point onlyslightly remote from the extreme edge of the valve-port to said edge,preferably in a plane substantially at right angles to a line drawnthrough the center of said port, as will'be understood by reference toFig. 3 of the drawings.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings the auxiliary valve casin g is shown somewhatin the nature of a pipe-coupling having internally-screwthreaded inletand outlet ends, whereby the same may be fitted to a. supply or exhaustpipe section (not shown) communicating with the main-valve chamber andalso having a substantially annular valve-seat formed in termediate itsends to receive the valve V and having a waterway-passage or wayextending around slightly more than one-half of the valve-seat, thevalve being shown in connection with this casing being of substantiallythe same general construction and organization as the valve illustratedin Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the only difference being that the opposite endsof the valve will be closed and the outlet for said valve will be formedin one side thereof and will be in position to communicate with anoutlet-port in the. side of the valve-seat, which is preferably in axialalinement with the opposite tubular ends of the casing, each inlet-portof the valve and valve-seat being shown in said figures of substantiallythe same construction and organization as each of those shown in Figs. 2to 5.

The actuatingconnector Gr, between the auxiliary valve V and thepiston-rod 2 of the piston I, comprises in the preferred form thereof(shown most clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings) a crank-arm 33, fixed tothe valve stem 24 outside the casing C and having at the outer endthereof a roller 34:, a valve-aetuating cam 85, pivotally supported at36 on a portion of the valve-casing and having a working face 37 inbearing engagement with the roller 34; of the crank-arm 33 and also.

having an outwardly-extending arm 38, and a connecting-rod 39,preferably adjustably secured at the lower end thereof to the outer endof the cam-arm 3S and pivotally secured at its upper end to thecross-head or arm 6 of the piston-rod 2, the crank-arm 33 being held inpositive engagement with the working face 37 of the cam 35 preferably bya spring 40, secured at one end to the outer end of the crank-arm and.at its opposite end to a part on the casing 0 The cam 35 may have aworking surface of any suitable construction capable of securing therequisite variations in movements of the valve V at different points inthe stroke thereof and the requisite ratio of movement between saidvalve and the piston.

I do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction andorganization of actuating-connector between the valve V and piston, asthese may be variously modified within the purview of my invention.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings I have shown the connection between theconnecting -rod 39 and the valve-stem 24 as a crank-arm fixedly securedat its inner end to said valve-stem and at its outer end to theconnecting-rod, the cam 35 (illustrated in Fig. 1) being in thisinstance dispensed with.

By constructing and organizing the valve V as hereinbefore describedsaid valve is positively balanced within the valve-chambercircumferentially. Furthermore, the construction thereof is such thatthe fluid in entering the valve will be so disseminated or spread as toobviate obnoxious noises, such as whistling and groaning,inherent invalves of motors of ordinary construction.

By practical experiment I have discovered that a motor-valve which isnot perfectly balanced will during operation be subjected to great wearand also that a well-balanced motor-valve will, unless means areprovided in connection therewith for disseminating or spreading thefluid duringits entrance to said valve, emit a groaning or whistlingnoise; and it is one of the principal objects of my present invention toobviate these disadvantages and to also provide a valve mechanism whichwill positively prevent detrimental reactionary infiuences especiallynoticeable in an organ when the motor is used in connection with thebellows of said organ and which are principally due to the vibratoryaction of the bellows.

The positive-stroke motor herein described has several points ofadvantage over ordinary motors-to wit, a noiseless action, theelimination of the throb or jar inherent in motors of ordinaryconstruction by the gradually checking of the piston near the ends ofthe strokes, and the positive obviation of groaning and whistling noisesbefore referred to.

By the construction and organization of the parts of the motor. ashereinbefore described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,the piston can be operated at different speeds at different parts of thestroke and the auxiliary valve may have variable velocities at differentpoints in its stroke.

The operation of the motor will be readily understood by any one skilledin the art on reference to the several figures of the drawings, it beingunderstood that water or other fluid will, in practice be admitted tothe inlet-port 1G, whence itis delivered, when the valve V is in theposition shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to the upper end of thecylinder through the port 10 and passage or conduit 12, the water belowthe piston P being exhausted through the passage-way 12, through theport 10, into the valve-chamber C, and thence into the exhaust-chamberO, whence it passes through the opposite ports 30 and 31 of theauxiliary valve and through the outlet 20, communication between theport 23 of the waterway 22 being cut off from the main cylinder by theflange 28 of the main valve.

By constructing the valve V, its valvechamber 0', and theauxiliary-valve chamber 0* in the manner illustrated most clearly inFig. 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the valve V will also bebalanced in its cylinder.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A water-motor embodying a maincylinder; a piston workingin said cylinder; a mainvalve chamber havingport-passages leading to opposite ends, respectively, of said cylinder;a valve in said chamber; means in connection with the. piston foroperating the grooves being adapted to disseminate the fluid;

as it passes through the ports; and an actu-' ating-connector betweenthis last-mentioned valve and piston.

2. A water-motor comprising a main cylin-; derhaving a piston workingtherein; a com-i municating valve-cylinder having a .spool-" valvetherein; means carried bythe piston-- :rod for imparting anopening--and-closing movement to the spool-valve at 'predeterminedpoints in opposite strokes,respectively, j of the piston; anexhaust-chamber having a tubular valve-seat with a waterway-partially;

surrounding thesame, 'and'said seat also hav-' ing diametricallyopposite ports; a tubular auxiliaryvalveof uniform diameter from end toend having a central exhaust-'opening'and also having diametricallyoppositeports lead ingfrom said exhaust-opening to the exhaustchamber;and a valve-actuator connecting the last valve and piston andconstructed to imparta-variable' movement to sai'd'valve to;

decrease or increase the volume or exhaust at predetermined points,whereby tocontrol' the action ofsaid piston.

3. A water-motor embodyinga main cylinder; a piston working in saidcylinder; a

main -valve chamber having port-passages leading to opposite ends,respectively, of said cylinder; avalvein said chamber; meansin'connection with'the piston for operating the; valve; an auxiliary-valvechamber having ports leading to the main-valvechamber; a tubular valvesupported for oscillatory move-e ment in the auxiliary-valve chamber andhaving ports leading from the interior of said; valve and in positionfor communicating with the ports of the valve-chamber, the construe-ition of said tubular valve being such that the same will be balancedcircumferentially; and} an auxiliary-valve actuator operativelyconnecting the said valve and piston and embodying a cam for effectingrelatively-variable movements of the valve and piston, whereby tosecure'predetermined variations in the'velocity of said valve atpredetermined points in the movements'of the piston and control theoperation of said piston.

4. Afluid-motor comprising a main pistoncylinder having a piston; amain-valve cylinder having port-passages leading to the piston-cylinderand also having a valve; an exhaust-chamber embodying a substantiallyannular valve-seat having ports at diametrically opposite sides thereof,and a fluid-passage extending partially around said seat andcommunicating with opposite ends of the main-valvecylinder; an auxiliaryvalve located in said valve-chamber and having diametrically oppositeports disposed to register with the ports-of said seats, and alsohavingin the periphery thereof contiguous to said ports indentations orgrooves each of which merges at one end into one port and terminates atits opposite end intermediate this port and the diametrically oppositeport, and

the construction thereof being such as to spread or disseminate thefluid as it passes through the ports, whereby to prevent noise; and anactuating-connector between the auxiliary valve and piston.

5. Awater-motor comprising a main pistoneylinder having a piston; amain-valve cylinder communicating with the main piston ancl alsohaviugavalve; means for operating said piston and valve; an exhaust-chambercommunioatin g with the main-valve cylinder;

and a tubular balancedeXhaust-valve open at one end and having one ormore peripheral ports, and also having on its periphery one or moregrooves merging into said port or ports, said grooves serving todisseminate or change the course of the water as it passes through saidports; and means for operating said exhaust-valve.

EMORY O. WHITNEY, C. S. OUAMPION.

